diff --git a/Sources/Plasma/CoreLib/CMakeLists.txt b/Sources/Plasma/CoreLib/CMakeLists.txt
index 21abff68..759e6384 100644
--- a/Sources/Plasma/CoreLib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Sources/Plasma/CoreLib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ set(CoreLib_SOURCES
     hsBounds.cpp
     hsCpuID.cpp
     hsCritSect.cpp
+    hsExceptions.cpp
     hsExceptionStack.cpp
     hsFastMath.cpp
     hsGeometry3.cpp
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ set(CoreLib_HEADERS
     hsCpuID.h
     hsCritSect.h
     hsExceptions.h
+    hsExceptionStack.h
     hsFastMath.h
     hsGeometry3.h
     hsHashTable.h
diff --git a/Sources/Plasma/CoreLib/hsExceptionStack.cpp b/Sources/Plasma/CoreLib/hsExceptionStack.cpp
index 4e9d47b7..44eadd19 100644
--- a/Sources/Plasma/CoreLib/hsExceptionStack.cpp
+++ b/Sources/Plasma/CoreLib/hsExceptionStack.cpp
@@ -48,4 +48,4 @@ void hsExceptionStack::FreeInstance()
 {
     delete fExceptionStack;
     fExceptionStack = nil;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/Sources/Plasma/CoreLib/hsExceptions.cpp b/Sources/Plasma/CoreLib/hsExceptions.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bb48e8b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Sources/Plasma/CoreLib/hsExceptions.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#include "hsExceptions.h"
+
+#include <cstring>
+
+const char *hsException::what() const HS_NOEXCEPT
+{
+    char buffer[64];
+
+    static const char *kErrorNames[] = {
+        "kNo_hsError",
+        "kNilParam_hsError",
+        "kBadParam_hsError",
+        "kInternal_hsError",
+        "kOS_hsError"
+    };
+    static_assert(arrsize(kErrorNames) == hsErrorEnum_MAX,
+        "kErrorNames not in sync with hsErrorEnum");
+
+    if (fError >= 0 && fError < hsErrorEnum_MAX)
+        snprintf(buffer, arrsize(buffer), "%s (%ld)", kErrorNames[fError], fParam);
+    else
+        snprintf(buffer, arrsize(buffer), "Unknown hsException error %d (%ld)", fError, fParam);
+
+    return buffer;
+}
diff --git a/Sources/Plasma/CoreLib/hsExceptions.h b/Sources/Plasma/CoreLib/hsExceptions.h
index 2ce7f5f5..134afdce 100644
--- a/Sources/Plasma/CoreLib/hsExceptions.h
+++ b/Sources/Plasma/CoreLib/hsExceptions.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ You can contact Cyan Worlds, Inc. by email legal@cyan.com
 #define hsExceptionDefined
 
 #include "HeadSpin.h"
+#include <exception>
 
 // #define HS_NO_EXCEPTIONS -- this will turn off execptions you might want 
 // to do it with -D or equivalent instead of here since who knows who includes this.
@@ -54,37 +55,41 @@ enum hsErrorEnum {
     kNilParam_hsError,
     kBadParam_hsError,
     kInternal_hsError,
-    kOS_hsError
+    kOS_hsError,
+    hsErrorEnum_MAX
 };
 
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-class hsException {
+class hsException : public std::exception {
 public:
     hsErrorEnum fError;
-    long            fParam;
-    
-    hsException(hsErrorEnum error, long param = 0) : fError(error), fParam(param) {}
+    long        fParam;
+
+    hsException(hsErrorEnum error, long param = 0) HS_NOEXCEPT
+        : fError(error), fParam(param) {}
+
+    const char *what() const HS_NOEXCEPT HS_OVERRIDE;
 };
 
 class hsNilParamException : public hsException {
 public:
-    hsNilParamException() : hsException(kNilParam_hsError) {}
+    hsNilParamException() HS_NOEXCEPT : hsException(kNilParam_hsError) {}
 };
 
 class hsBadParamException : public hsException {
 public:
-    hsBadParamException() : hsException(kBadParam_hsError) {}
+    hsBadParamException() HS_NOEXCEPT : hsException(kBadParam_hsError) {}
 };
 
 class hsInternalException : public hsException {
 public:
-    hsInternalException() : hsException(kInternal_hsError) {}
+    hsInternalException() HS_NOEXCEPT : hsException(kInternal_hsError) {}
 };
 
 class hsOSException : public hsException {
 public:
-    hsOSException(long error) : hsException(kOS_hsError, error) {}
+    hsOSException(long error) HS_NOEXCEPT : hsException(kOS_hsError, error) {}
 };
 
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////